Jig or fixture for electroplating



May 16, 1944.

A. E. LUNDBYE 2,348,915 I J IG OR FIXTURE FOR ELECTROPLATING Filed July 3, 1942 dare! Z Zwgdye,

Patented May l6, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

JI G OR FIXTUREibR ELECTROPLATING Axel E. Lundbye, Springfield, Ohio, asslgnor to The Crowell-Collier Publishing Company, v Springfield, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application July 3, 1942, serial No. 449,623 6 Claims. ((1204-3297) My invention relates to new and useful improvements in electroplating, and more particularly to a Jig or fixture that is to follow in outline the shape of the article which is to be internally plated and have anodes spaced to register with openings in the article whose walls are to be plated.

As is well known to those skilledin the art, it is sometimes found necessary or desirable to electroplate the walls about passageways or apertures or channels, and with the ordinary fixtures now in use, the step-up for the plating often takes a rela tively long time.

lAn object oi the present invention, therefore, is to provide a Jig of two electrically conductingplates that will be cut substantially to the shape oi the article which is to be plated and to provide holes or apertures in the plates in which there will be situated anodes, and which holes or apertures will register with the holes or openings in the article the walls of which are to be plated, so that these internal walls of the apertures (cathodes) will be in close proximity to the anodes.

Another object of the invention is to provide a jig or fixture comprising two electrically conducting plates which will follow in outline the article to be plated and will also have formed in the upper Dlate insulating nipples in which will be fitted the anodes while in .the bottom plate there will be hgles or aperturesin which are mounted the anes.

These anodes in turn'will extend through the ing the article having the internal walls which are to be plated;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional detail view showing the method of supporting the anodes; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view showing how the plates are clamped together.

At the outset it will be understood that although the plates of the jig are shown substantially rectangular in top plan, they will be of a shape which is substantially the shape of the article which is to be treated, it being only necessary that the ends of the plates have lips thereon so that the two plates maybe fastened to each other and about the article which is to be plated. It will also be understood that although the anodes are shown as situated in two parallel lines,

they will in practice always be positioned in reg-' again as at I to form a lip, and it will'be understood that the other 'endis bent in a like manner to provide the outwardly extending lip 5.

There is also a complementary lower electricallyconducting plate 6 that is bent similar to the platel to provide the outwardly extending lips 8 [at its opposite ends.

These lips 4 and 8 are clamped about a rubber separator 9 and in Fig. 4 there will be seen the rubber bushings l0 and ii within the respective lips 4 and 8 of the plates 1 and 6, so that the bolts i2 may be fastened in place and held in locked position but not be in electrical contact with the 'platesl and 6.

In the same manner the remaining ends of the two plates l and B are held by Bolts with the openings in the plates wherever the latter happenedto be.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in certain new and novel arrangements and combination oi! parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

Referring now to the drawing showing a preferred form,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view showing the upper plate of the jig and the anodes spaced m a predetermined position;

Flg. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of that likewise pass through like rubber bushings and rubber separators.

In the upper plate I there are a plurality of apertures in which there are the'rubber bushings l3 and fitted within each rubber bushin I purposes are the rubber separators l8, whereas the upper plate is clamped directly on the article. 7

is an anode it, these anodes extending down and tightly fitting into apertures I! in the plate and. of course, in electrical contact therewith.

The article to -be plated, A, is provided with Fig. 1 showing atom]: and the iig, the ,jig enclosas heretofore mentioned, these anodes will be spaced or positioned inthe upper and lower plate so that they will be in registry with the apertures I! in the plate that is to be treated.

It will also be understood that new plates will have to be formed for different articles to be I treated, or new holes may have to be drilled in the same plates, so that the anodes will always lating members for receiving the, free ends oi! said anodes.

5 internal walls to be plated, comprising two elecpass centrally through the apertures in the artlcle, wherever these apertures happen to be. Thus, when thereis an article with certain internal walls to be treated, the Jig will be made up as above outlined, and the anodes. of course. will be so spaced that they pass centrally through the apert res, so that the electrolyte has but a short dis nce to new from the anodes to the walls to be plated.

As may be seen in Fig. 2, the electric current entering the lower plate will pass through the trically conducting plate members engageable with opposite ends or said article, means for securing said members together in gripping relationship to said article, means for insulating said members from each other, means for insulating one, only, of said members from said article, at least one electrode secured to said one member and having a free end passing through an aperture in said article, and means for insulatlngsaid tree'end oi! said electrode from and anode and through the electrolytic bath to the supporting it by the other plate member.

4. An electroplating fixture comprising two se arable electrically conducting plate members. a plurality of electrodes electrically connected b to and having free ends projecting from one or said plate members, insulating bushings on the other plate member .lor receiving the free ends of said electrodes, means for securing said plate members together in spaced apart relationship and with the electrodes extending therebetween,

which in turn will be clamped about the article' and the anodes always be so positioned that they 'will be passed centrally through the aperture whose walls are to be plated.

Many. slight changes might e made without departing from the spirit and cope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

L 1. An electroplating fixture-for an aperturecl article including two electrically conducting separable plates, means for clamping the same to each other and on opposite sides of said article, insulating separators between'the plates where the same are clamped together, anodes secured in one plate in electric contact therewith and positioned to--pass through the apertures in the said article and extend into electrical insulators in the other plate, and insulators between the article and the plate carrying the anodes.

2.- An electroplating fixture ior an.article having apertures. providing internal walls to be means for insulating said plate members from 01' said article, means for securing said plates together in clamping relationship to said article, means for insulating the plates from each other,

means for insulating one of said plates from said article, electrodes secured to said one plate having free ends projecting toward the other plate, and insulating means on said other plate for receiving the free ends or said electrodes.

6. A fixture i'or electroplating an article havmg apertures therethroughforming internal lated, including two electrically conducting together on opposite sides of said article insuiating separators between the clamping means,

tures, insulators interposed between said 'one plate and the article .to be plated, the second plate acting as a cathode plate and in contact 1 with the article to be plated and having insuseparable plates, means for clamping the same g a plurality of anodes on one 01' said plates havlng' free ends positioned to extend through the aperwalls to be plated, comprising a pair oi electrically conducting plate-element to be disposed on opposite sides of said article and having 0pposed ollset end portions for gripping edges or said article, means for securing said plate-cle electro'des.

AZEL E. LurlnBYn.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2, h8,915.' m 16, 191% e1 the abeve nufilbered pateht requiring corfection'ea fellows} Paige 1', first column, line 12, forstepi1p" read --setup--;"and thgt the said Letters Patent, should be reed with this correction thereih that the same may conrozin t6 the record of the -caee in thePatent Office.

Signed end sealed this-11.111 day of Ju 1 ,'A. en. 19%.-

Leslie Frazer (Seal) Acting Gummissiener of Patents. 

